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I have been having a weird problem. I am writing an ActiveX EXE server that
serves both as a VB5 AddIn and a stand-alone executable. Believing in the
reuse of GUI as well as code, I naturally used a private UserControl to
implement the majority of the functionality, and put simple delegation code
onto a form and an UserDocument in order to cope with its two uses.

Now, everything was working alright, and for the first main version, it was
working and compiling quite nicely. Later on, after a few enhancements, I
decided to another build, and during the build, I suddenly got an error
message "Automation Error". From experience, I have found that getting
these type of error messages during a build means that there is some dodgy
code in the UserControl_Initialize or UserControl_Terminate events, which is
executed due to the UserControl for some reason being actually instantiated
during compilation. Well, I had deliberately moved a whole lot of code from
the UserControl_Initialize event to a procedure called Init - called from
the UserControl_ReadProperties and UserControl_InitProperties event
procedures - just for this reason. After some debugging, it looked as if
both the Initialize and Terminate events were working OK. During debugging,
I was getting (with ObjPtr(Me))

UserControl_Initialize:6536904
UserControl_Terminate:6536904

----> AUTOMATION ERROR

At which point, it told me that it couldn't load a temporary file, and would
ask me whether I wanted to continue. Saying yes at this point would cause
the same error to occur again:

UserControl_Initialize:6536904
UserControl_Terminate:6536904

----> AUTOMATION ERROR

(Obviously the Form, then the UserDocument).

If you subsequently tried to open the Form or the UserDocument, the
UserControl there would be an error message - the same one! - and then the
UserControl would have turned into a picture box.

Bizarrely, if you <didn't> open the Form or UserDocument again, you could
try to compile the project again - but this time it would work! But if you
ran the executable, then you would get an error:

"Run-time error '363':"

"ActiveX control 'PVResourceStringsViewer.XStrings' not referenced in this
project. Use Project/Components... to add a reference."

All this seemed to be a problem with CLSIDs, so I decided to remove Binary
Compatibility - and surprise! - the thing compiled:

I had a similar problem when compiling. I cannot remember the exact cause
but I solved it by putting messageboxes in UserControl_init/readprops etc
until I tracked down the line of code that was causing the problem. From
memory something was different when compiling as opposed to opening or running
a form. Maybe the events fired in a different order or an event was missed
or the control didn't have a client site when normally it would.

Hope this helps

Michael Culley

"Mark Alexander Bertenshaw" <mark.bertenshaw@virgin.net> wrote:
>Hi all!!
>
>I have been having a weird problem. I am writing an ActiveX EXE server
that
>serves both as a VB5 AddIn and a stand-alone executable. Believing in the
>reuse of GUI as well as code, I naturally used a private UserControl to
>implement the majority of the functionality, and put simple delegation code
>onto a form and an UserDocument in order to cope with its two uses.
>
>Now, everything was working alright, and for the first main version, it
was
>working and compiling quite nicely. Later on, after a few enhancements,
I
>decided to another build, and during the build, I suddenly got an error
>message "Automation Error". From experience, I have found that getting
>these type of error messages during a build means that there is some dodgy
>code in the UserControl_Initialize or UserControl_Terminate events, which
is
>executed due to the UserControl for some reason being actually instantiated
>during compilation. Well, I had deliberately moved a whole lot of code
from
>the UserControl_Initialize event to a procedure called Init - called from
>the UserControl_ReadProperties and UserControl_InitProperties event
>procedures - just for this reason. After some debugging, it looked as if
>both the Initialize and Terminate events were working OK. During debugging,
>I was getting (with ObjPtr(Me))
>
>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>
>At which point, it told me that it couldn't load a temporary file, and would
>ask me whether I wanted to continue. Saying yes at this point would cause
>the same error to occur again:
>
>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>
>(Obviously the Form, then the UserDocument).
>
>If you subsequently tried to open the Form or the UserDocument, the
>UserControl there would be an error message - the same one! - and then the
>UserControl would have turned into a picture box.
>
>Bizarrely, if you <didn't> open the Form or UserDocument again, you could
>try to compile the project again - but this time it would work! But if you
>ran the executable, then you would get an error:
>
>"Run-time error '363':"
>
>"ActiveX control 'PVResourceStringsViewer.XStrings' not referenced in this
>project. Use Project/Components... to add a reference."
>
>
>All this seemed to be a problem with CLSIDs, so I decided to remove Binary
>Compatibility - and surprise! - the thing compiled:
>
>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
>Unfortunately, I cannot subsequently, whatever I do, compile with Binary
>Compatibility.
>
>Can anybody help me?
>
>--
>Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
>Programmer/Analyst
>PrimeResponse
>Brentford
>UK
>
>

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, even if I remove ALL code from the UserControl
events, I still get Automation Error. Also, your experience didn't seem to
have anything to do with Binary Compatibility.

"Michael Culley" <m_culley@one.net.au> wrote:
>
>Mark,
>
>I had a similar problem when compiling. I cannot remember the exact cause
>but I solved it by putting messageboxes in UserControl_init/readprops etc
>until I tracked down the line of code that was causing the problem. From
>memory something was different when compiling as opposed to opening or running
>a form. Maybe the events fired in a different order or an event was missed
>or the control didn't have a client site when normally it would.
>
>Hope this helps
>
>Michael Culley
>
>"Mark Alexander Bertenshaw" <mark.bertenshaw@virgin.net> wrote:
>>Hi all!!
>>
>>I have been having a weird problem. I am writing an ActiveX EXE server
>that
>>serves both as a VB5 AddIn and a stand-alone executable. Believing in
the
>>reuse of GUI as well as code, I naturally used a private UserControl to
>>implement the majority of the functionality, and put simple delegation
code
>>onto a form and an UserDocument in order to cope with its two uses.
>>
>>Now, everything was working alright, and for the first main version, it
>was
>>working and compiling quite nicely. Later on, after a few enhancements,
>I
>>decided to another build, and during the build, I suddenly got an error
>>message "Automation Error". From experience, I have found that getting
>>these type of error messages during a build means that there is some dodgy
>>code in the UserControl_Initialize or UserControl_Terminate events, which
>is
>>executed due to the UserControl for some reason being actually instantiated
>>during compilation. Well, I had deliberately moved a whole lot of code
>from
>>the UserControl_Initialize event to a procedure called Init - called from
>>the UserControl_ReadProperties and UserControl_InitProperties event
>>procedures - just for this reason. After some debugging, it looked as
if
>>both the Initialize and Terminate events were working OK. During debugging,
>>I was getting (with ObjPtr(Me))
>>
>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>
>>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>>
>>At which point, it told me that it couldn't load a temporary file, and
would
>>ask me whether I wanted to continue. Saying yes at this point would cause
>>the same error to occur again:
>>
>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>
>>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>>
>>(Obviously the Form, then the UserDocument).
>>
>>If you subsequently tried to open the Form or the UserDocument, the
>>UserControl there would be an error message - the same one! - and then
the
>>UserControl would have turned into a picture box.
>>
>>Bizarrely, if you <didn't> open the Form or UserDocument again, you could
>>try to compile the project again - but this time it would work! But if
you
>>ran the executable, then you would get an error:
>>
>>"Run-time error '363':"
>>
>>"ActiveX control 'PVResourceStringsViewer.XStrings' not referenced in this
>>project. Use Project/Components... to add a reference."
>>
>>
>>All this seemed to be a problem with CLSIDs, so I decided to remove Binary
>>Compatibility - and surprise! - the thing compiled:
>>
>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>
>>Unfortunately, I cannot subsequently, whatever I do, compile with Binary
>>Compatibility.
>>
>>Can anybody help me?
>>
>>--
>>Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
>>Programmer/Analyst
>>PrimeResponse
>>Brentford
>>UK
>>
>>
>

Subsequently, I have decided to look at exactly what I am keeping compatibility
with - and it is really weird!!

First of all, I hadn't realised that UserDocuments inherit directly from
IDispatch, and do not have a companion v-table interface. More unusual, however,
it seems as if there is a whole load of hidden methods in the _Connect interface:

Just a thought - in order to gain type info of the Bin Compat file wouldn't
it have to instantiate it. So maybe the error is because it cannot load the
Bin Compat copy? Can use use this copy in a project?

Michael Culley

"Mark Alexander Bertenshaw" <mark.bertenshaw@virgin.net> wrote:
>
>Michael -
>
>Thanks for replying. Unfortunately, even if I remove ALL code from the UserControl
>events, I still get Automation Error. Also, your experience didn't seem
to
>have anything to do with Binary Compatibility.
>
>-------------------------
>Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
>Programmer/Analyst
>Prime Response
>Brentford
>UK
>
>
>"Michael Culley" <m_culley@one.net.au> wrote:
>>
>>Mark,
>>
>>I had a similar problem when compiling. I cannot remember the exact cause
>>but I solved it by putting messageboxes in UserControl_init/readprops etc
>>until I tracked down the line of code that was causing the problem. From
>>memory something was different when compiling as opposed to opening or
running
>>a form. Maybe the events fired in a different order or an event was missed
>>or the control didn't have a client site when normally it would.
>>
>>Hope this helps
>>
>>Michael Culley
>>
>>"Mark Alexander Bertenshaw" <mark.bertenshaw@virgin.net> wrote:
>>>Hi all!!
>>>
>>>I have been having a weird problem. I am writing an ActiveX EXE server
>>that
>>>serves both as a VB5 AddIn and a stand-alone executable. Believing in
>the
>>>reuse of GUI as well as code, I naturally used a private UserControl to
>>>implement the majority of the functionality, and put simple delegation
>code
>>>onto a form and an UserDocument in order to cope with its two uses.
>>>
>>>Now, everything was working alright, and for the first main version, it
>>was
>>>working and compiling quite nicely. Later on, after a few enhancements,
>>I
>>>decided to another build, and during the build, I suddenly got an error
>>>message "Automation Error". From experience, I have found that getting
>>>these type of error messages during a build means that there is some dodgy
>>>code in the UserControl_Initialize or UserControl_Terminate events, which
>>is
>>>executed due to the UserControl for some reason being actually instantiated
>>>during compilation. Well, I had deliberately moved a whole lot of code
>>from
>>>the UserControl_Initialize event to a procedure called Init - called from
>>>the UserControl_ReadProperties and UserControl_InitProperties event
>>>procedures - just for this reason. After some debugging, it looked as
>if
>>>both the Initialize and Terminate events were working OK. During debugging,
>>>I was getting (with ObjPtr(Me))
>>>
>>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>>
>>>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>>>
>>>At which point, it told me that it couldn't load a temporary file, and
>would
>>>ask me whether I wanted to continue. Saying yes at this point would cause
>>>the same error to occur again:
>>>
>>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>>
>>>----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>>>
>>>(Obviously the Form, then the UserDocument).
>>>
>>>If you subsequently tried to open the Form or the UserDocument, the
>>>UserControl there would be an error message - the same one! - and then
>the
>>>UserControl would have turned into a picture box.
>>>
>>>Bizarrely, if you <didn't> open the Form or UserDocument again, you could
>>>try to compile the project again - but this time it would work! But if
>you
>>>ran the executable, then you would get an error:
>>>
>>>"Run-time error '363':"
>>>
>>>"ActiveX control 'PVResourceStringsViewer.XStrings' not referenced in
this
>>>project. Use Project/Components... to add a reference."
>>>
>>>
>>>All this seemed to be a problem with CLSIDs, so I decided to remove Binary
>>>Compatibility - and surprise! - the thing compiled:
>>>
>>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>>>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>>>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>>UserControl_Initialize:6536904
>>>UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
>>>UserControl_Resize:6536904
>>>UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
>>>UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>>>
>>>Unfortunately, I cannot subsequently, whatever I do, compile with Binary
>>>Compatibility.
>>>
>>>Can anybody help me?
>>>
>>>--
>>>Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
>>>Programmer/Analyst
>>>PrimeResponse
>>>Brentford
>>>UK
>>>
>>>
>>
>

"Michael Culley" <m_culley@one.net.au> wrote:
>Just a thought - in order to gain type info of the Bin Compat file wouldn't
>it have to instantiate it. So maybe the error is because it cannot load
the
>Bin Compat copy? Can use use this copy in a project?

Nice idea - and you got me going for a while. Unfortunately, that wasn't
it (and, of course, you don't need to instantiate anything, since type libraries
are windows resources).

Since I seem unable to create binary compatibility via compilation - does
anybody know how to change the type library retrospectively? Presumably
this would be done by finding where the CLSIDs are, and hacking them.

The only way to hack the typelib right now is with the type library editor
from my book. I haven't posted an integrated binary-compatibility editor
yet, but this is just the normal editor with a bunch of commands turned off.
See the readme for things you should/shouldn't do. You can do the resource
replacement in the binary compatibility file by hand using VC++ (open as
Resources). Also note that you might have to hand touch the _IID_* resource
entries as well. I think VB might update these on a compile to match the
entries in the typelib, but I'm not 100% sure. The format is described in
chapter 15 of the book. -Matt

Thanks for replying. I will indeed look at the appropriate chapter (I'm only
up to chpt 9 so far), and have a go at playing with the editor. Since I see
no reason to change the interfaces of the two public classes (of which, only
the UserDocument has any methods - a single event), then this should be easier.

BTW Have you any explanation for why compiling with Binary Compatibility
woud cause this "Automation Error"?

"Matthew Curland" <mattcur@microsoft.com> wrote:
>The only way to hack the typelib right now is with the type library editor
>from my book. I haven't posted an integrated binary-compatibility editor
>yet, but this is just the normal editor with a bunch of commands turned
off.
>See the readme for things you should/shouldn't do. You can do the resource
>replacement in the binary compatibility file by hand using VC++ (open as
>Resources). Also note that you might have to hand touch the _IID_* resource
>entries as well. I think VB might update these on a compile to match the
>entries in the typelib, but I'm not 100% sure. The format is described in
>chapter 15 of the book. -Matt
>
>

After compiling with binary compatibility, if you open the Form or
UserDocument, the IDE informs you that you are unable to load the control,
and the UserControl is missing from the designers. Interestingly enough, if
you go and change the interface, private OR public, of the UserControl,
<before> opening the Form or UserDocument this problem doesn't happen at
all.

Also, I have subsequently managed to open and compile the entire project
with Binary Compatibility in VB6SP3. Unfortunately, I don't want to
distribute and VB 6 stuff to anybody, since a lot of the potential users are
developers using VB5, so this isn't an option.

--
Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
Programmer/Analyst
PrimeResponse
Brentford
UK
"Mark Alexander Bertenshaw" <mark.bertenshaw@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:39d7ae9a@news.devx.com...
> Hi all!!
>
> I have been having a weird problem. I am writing an ActiveX EXE server
that
> serves both as a VB5 AddIn and a stand-alone executable. Believing in the
> reuse of GUI as well as code, I naturally used a private UserControl to
> implement the majority of the functionality, and put simple delegation
code
> onto a form and an UserDocument in order to cope with its two uses.
>
> Now, everything was working alright, and for the first main version, it
was
> working and compiling quite nicely. Later on, after a few enhancements, I
> decided to another build, and during the build, I suddenly got an error
> message "Automation Error". From experience, I have found that getting
> these type of error messages during a build means that there is some dodgy
> code in the UserControl_Initialize or UserControl_Terminate events, which
is
> executed due to the UserControl for some reason being actually
instantiated
> during compilation. Well, I had deliberately moved a whole lot of code
from
> the UserControl_Initialize event to a procedure called Init - called from
> the UserControl_ReadProperties and UserControl_InitProperties event
> procedures - just for this reason. After some debugging, it looked as if
> both the Initialize and Terminate events were working OK. During
debugging,
> I was getting (with ObjPtr(Me))
>
> UserControl_Initialize:6536904
> UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
> ----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>
> At which point, it told me that it couldn't load a temporary file, and
would
> ask me whether I wanted to continue. Saying yes at this point would cause
> the same error to occur again:
>
> UserControl_Initialize:6536904
> UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
> ----> AUTOMATION ERROR
>
> (Obviously the Form, then the UserDocument).
>
> If you subsequently tried to open the Form or the UserDocument, the
> UserControl there would be an error message - the same one! - and then the
> UserControl would have turned into a picture box.
>
> Bizarrely, if you <didn't> open the Form or UserDocument again, you could
> try to compile the project again - but this time it would work! But if you
> ran the executable, then you would get an error:
>
> "Run-time error '363':"
>
> "ActiveX control 'PVResourceStringsViewer.XStrings' not referenced in this
> project. Use Project/Components... to add a reference."
>
>
> All this seemed to be a problem with CLSIDs, so I decided to remove Binary
> Compatibility - and surprise! - the thing compiled:
>
> UserControl_Initialize:6536904
> UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
> UserControl_Resize:6536904
> UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
> UserControl_Terminate:6536904
> UserControl_Initialize:6536904
> UserControl_ReadProperties:6536904
> UserControl_Resize:6536904
> UserControl_WriteProperties:6536904
> UserControl_Terminate:6536904
>
> Unfortunately, I cannot subsequently, whatever I do, compile with Binary
> Compatibility.
>
> Can anybody help me?
>
> --
> Mark Alexander Bertenshaw
> Programmer/Analyst
> PrimeResponse
> Brentford
> UK
>
>